Turkish Artists and Friends In the shadow of Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, Musa Basaran, a kilim and tapestry weaver, and his good friend Mehmet Fazil Bilici, a rug collector, hang out each morning drinking chai and exchanging news in the carpet shop situated on the first floor of Mehmet’s Hotel Fehmi Bey. Their friendship spans decades, the two even attended Istanbul University together, both graduating in economics and finance. Musa and Mehmet share a love of textiles, particularly of carpets, but for slightly different reasons.  Mehmet Fazil Bilici and Musa Basaran in Mehmet's carpet shop at the Fehmi Bey Hotel. Musa designs and weaves and sells kilims and tapestries in a studio just around the corner from his friend Mehmet’s hotel in the tourist district of Sultanahmet. His work is one-of-a kind in Turkey and has been exhibited internationally. While he honors traditional kilim weaving, much of his work is contemporary art.  Musa's dreamscape, a place he might like to go to and retire.  Musa's naturally-dyed silk yarn.  A naturally dyed carpet designed and woven by Musa Basaran made with wool, silk and linen.  Vegetable dyes Musa uses for his yarn. Left to right: Buckthorn, cochineal, chamomile and madder root. Musa offers weaving workshops and has restored apartments above his studio that are available for his out-of-town students to rent.   Living room and kitchen in Musa's apartments.  The view from the deck of Musa's apartments.   Mehmet recently opened a rug gallery beside his hotel that he filled with old and rare rugs including Ottoman, Armenian and Sufi designs. Each has a tale to tell. Mehmet’s favorite, however, is not for sale and hangs in the lobby of his hotel. It is a pictorial pile weave that depicts the story of weaving a carpet (photo to right.) If you plan to visit Istanbul but not long enough to take one of Musa’s courses, consider staying stay at the Fehmi Bey. The staff is the friendliest in town. They treated me like a member of the family when I stayed with them for several weeks last fall. To inquire about Musa’s carpets or weaving workshops, please contact Musa at: musabasaran@gmail.com. To contact Mehmet Bilici about rugs or for inquiries about his hotel, please contact: info@fehmibey.com mailto:musabasaran@gmail.com?subject=Weaving%20mailto:info@fehmibey.com?subject=email%20subjectshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1

Elif Bilman, a retired English teacher in Istanbul, weaving a kilim in Musa's studio. 

Master Weaver Musa Basaran and his student Linda Robinson, holding Linda's first kilim.